Sellier & Bellot Ammo For Sale

Based in the Czech Republic, Sellier and Bellot (S&B) has been producing ammunition since the 1870s. Their high-quality ammo is evident through their popular shotgun ammunition, as well as their long-time supply partnership with the Czech military and police forces. Learn More

Freedom Fighter Support

With every purchase, Ammo.com donates to an organization that shares our values. Learn More

Sellier & Bellot, operating since 1825, is the oldest engineering company in the Czech Republic, and one of the oldest continuously operating companies in the world. It’s currently owned by CBC, which also owns the Magtech brand of ammunition.

The Beginnings of Sellier & Bellot Ammo

The French merchant Louis Sellier, who was the 17th of 19 children (two of his brothers met their end at the hand of the guillotine during the French Revolution), started a factory in Prague to manufacture percussion caps, and extended an invitation to fellow Frenchman Jean Maria Nicolaus Bellot to join the company soon after production began.

Sellier originally left France to avoid being conscripted into the Napoleonic Army in 1809, settling in Hamburg under the name Dell. His first business, with relative Barthelemy Sellier, was originally called the Rosenkranz Company and was based in Leipzig. The pair changed the company to Sellier and Company. While primarily in the business of producing luxury goods such as crystal and bronze, the company also dealt in hunting weapons and other supplies, which laid the groundwork for ammunition manufacturing later.

A rather curious figure, Sellier returned to France secretly during his German sojourn. During one of these trips he met Annette Huré, the daughter of a French colonial governor. When he asked for his beloved’s hand in marriage, her father refused and hid her away in a monastery. Sellier kidnapped her and everything seemed to have worked out for the best. The pair had their first child in 1815, getting married the next year. They then moved to Leipzig, where Sellier threw himself into his work with gusto.

While Sellier was starting a family, Bellot studied at Paris’ Polytechnic School. He learned about potassium chlorate and mercury fulminate, the latter of which had recently been rediscovered in 1799. The alchemists of the medieval period knew how to prepare mercury fulminate, but their formulas had been lost and forgotten. Bellot diligently studied ammunition primers made from potassium chlorate and black powder.

Around 1820, the entire ammunition industry began to change. The flintlock began disappearing in favor of more modern ammunition using percussion caps. Most workshops simply converted flintlock weapons, producing primers with very crude materials. Thus, they were unable to produce to scale and, as such, ammunition was very expensive.

Where Is Sellier & Bellot Ammo Made?

Bellot received a permit to manufacture primers in 1822. These primers quickly became known throughout France and Europe as being of superior quality to others on the market. Sellier and Company took notice and began selling them. It was at this point that Sellier began looking for the ideal place to begin manufacturing caps of his own. He requested permission from Emperor Francis I in 1825, but began a failed attempt to manufacture caps in an old monastery. When the Emperor granted permission, he demanded Sellier work with someone who knew what they were doing.

After his failure, Sellier was all too eager to have a partner who knew how to make a quality cap. Enter Bellot. In August 1825, he agreed to come to Prague and oversee production, as well as train the production staff. This is considered to be the founding date of Sellier & Bellot Ammo.

Fortunately for the company, Bellot’s genius was not merely limited to caps. He also formulated a revolutionary means of manufacturing them. This process simultaneously filled 100 caps with primer, while also creating 100 new caps at the same time. The end result was to increase the ability to manufacture (at the time) modern ammunition by orders of magnitude. This not only meant more caps, it meant significantly lower prices for all ammunition manufacturers. Bellot used the cash he made from this to buy half of the organization, finally becoming a partner in October 1831.

“S&B Ammo” Becomes the Gold Standard

By 1835, Sellier & Bellot produced 150 million caps annually between two factories. This certainly made it the most prolific ammunition manufacturer in Europe, and quite possibly the entire world. They did all of this with a mere 120 employees at their factories, and they likely could have produced even more if the Austrian Imperial government had granted their petition to lift the amount of mercury fulminate that could be produced. Alas, His Imperial Majesty did not.

This petition was finally granted in 1841, after the Prussian military put in a large order for percussion caps. By 1855, these two factories were producing a whopping 600 million primers. And by 1865, the number had risen to 180 million primers and bullets. In the United States, percussion caps were generally just referred to as “S&Bs.”

They began producing Flobert rimfire cartridges and Lefaucheaux’s pin-primer cartridges in 1870, and soon added centerfire cartridges – manufacturing more than 10 million cartridges per year. Before the turn of the 19th Century, Sellier & Bellot produced components and ammunition at four different factories. Bellot retired in 1867, but retained his stake. In 1869, Sellier & Bellot was reorganized into a joint stock company, a process that was finalized four years later.

During WWI, Sellier & Bellot shifted production to ammunition for military rifles and pistols – including the 9mm. After the end of WWI, they became the primary supplier of pistol ammo for the Czech army and police. They simultaneously expanded their commercial product lines with a focus on ammo for competition and hunting. Then they grew again after WWII (exporting about 70 percent of their production), expanding their product lines to be able to sell more than 85 different cartridges for rifles and pistols, as well as all popular gauges for shotgun, with the 12 gauge being most abundant.

In 1945, the company was nationalized as a prelude to the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia, which marked the true beginning of the Cold War. In response, West Germany was created and the Marshall Plan became widely adopted in Western Europe as a bulwark against Communism, alongside NATO and Operation Gladio to protect Italy and France. While the Communists received the highest percentage of the vote in a free election (48 percent of the vote, compared to 22 percent in Hungary), by 1947, their support cratered due to their reputation as the party running the national police service.

Unlike in many countries where there was a gradual takeover, the takeover in Czechoslovakia was a single, definite coup d’etat. Documents revealed during the Prague Spring stated that Stalin never intended to take the parliamentary road in Czechoslovakia. Everything came to a head when Interior Minister Václav Nosek, head of the National Police Force, attempted to purge non-Communists and illegally extend his term.

Several ministers resigned in an attempt to get the Prime Minister to refuse to accept their resignations. However, massive protests in the streets and fear of civil war and Red Army intervention meant this plan did not come to fruition. Several other parties, including the Social Democrats, had been infiltrated and taken over by Communists and operated as front groups. A general strike was threatened unless the new government was comprised by a majority of Communist Party members and their fellow travelers in other parties. While nominally operating as a coalition, this was the end of democracy and freedom in Czechoslovakia.

It wasn’t until 1992, after the Fall of Communism, that the company was reorganized again as a joint stock company.

Sellier & Bellot still produces ammunition for military and civilian applications around the world. They were voted as the bronze medal winner in the ammunition category by the readers of the Deutsches Waffen Journal in 1999, were on target to sell more than $40 million worth of total product in 2010, and they continue to sell 10 different types of bullets to meet the needs of hunters, competitive shooters and casual plinkers. Manufacturing handgun, rifle and shotgun ammunition, the most popular hunting bullets they sell are the Nosler Partition and the eXergy.

Popular S&B Ammo

Sellier & Bellot 22 WMR: The Sellier & Bellot .22 WMR is one of the most popular Winchester magnum rounds on the market today. Fire off a few rounds of this full metal jacket Sellier & Bellot ammunition to find out why it’s as prized by shooters today as it was 150 years ago.

Sellier & Bellot 9mm: The S&B ammo 9mm rounds are available in 95, 115 and 124 grain varieties. This is one of the premier Sellier & Bellot handgun ammo rounds you can buy. Sellier & Bellot 9mm bulk rounds are readily available.

Sellier & Bellot also supports shooting sports, partnering with the Czech Shooting Federation in a significant way to advance shotgun sports in the Czech Republic, and they sponsor multiple shooting competitions and competitive shooters. Magtech purchased S&B in 2009, but they continue to make high-quality ammunition preferred by shooters around the world.

"Ammo.com has consistently provided me very prompt service as well as great bargains on excellent ammunition. Ammo.com will continue to be my main source assisting me in keeping my inventory topped off. "

"I've generally had good experience with sellier and bellot ammo. i will go for that over something like american eagle any day. it doesnt foul the gun up too bad and this .308 didnt cause any issues in my brand new SCAR. i would recommend this or PRVI Partizan (serbian ammo) over bottom of the barrel american stuff like blazer, magtech or american eagle. unfortunately it is FMJ so i had to buy some HP as well to make it shootable at some ranges."

"I have run thousands of rounds, thru a number of 9mm hand guns. Most recently a Glock 43. I have never had a misfire, jam or any other type of issues using this ammo. I also use Sellier and Bellot for my Sig P320c .45 acp and a Sig .40 S&W and have never had any issues with this manufacturers ammo."

Larcham said:

"I used 5 different types of 9MM Ammo in my Glock 17-then I found Sellier and Bellot-I won't use any other Ammo now-never had a misfire and shoots very clean-Good Stuff!!!!"

Rick said:

"I ran 200 rounds through Glock 17 and S&W m&p9c, shot great no misfires or FTF, wish it was more readily available"

Glenn1903 said:

"I ran roughly 200 rounds through my wife's Ruger SR9. Absolutely no misfires! Clean-up was a breeze. Some of the best target ammo I have used to date. Will be doing much more business with you."

cflglock said:

"I've run 500 rounds of this ammo through my Glock 19 and Glock 26 with no problems at all. I think it is a very good target ammo at a very good price."

vtsnow said:

"I've been trying a bunch of different ammo lately and I was really impressed with the S&B 9mm 115gr. FMJ round. Not a single misfeed or FTF, as expected, and less cleanup. I will be ordering more for sure."

"I had been hoping for prices to drop before I ran out of my existing supply but that wasn't happening. Then I ran across ammo.com and found these. I'd never had any of this brand before but I'm quite satisfied with the product and ammo.com. All my future purchases will be through ammo.com."

"I recently bought a Ruger 10mm, 1911, and tried a box or two of S&B 10 mm, 180 Gr FMJ ammo. This Ammunition is amazing, One inch ragged hole groups at 25 yards all day long with the Ruger 10 mm. I am part way through my first 1000 rd case and will order another, the price is good, the quality excellent and the accuracy outstanding! S&B beat all other competitors ammo for accuracy and function."

NAT said:

"Will not function propley in 1911's .. run like hell.... very low quality. Terrible hopefully this helps somebody.. dont do it."

I use this ammo in my combination guns and love it. I recently have had a Borchardt Single shot rifle rebarreled in this cartridge with a 28" octagon to round barrel. I was able to secure enough loaded ammo from Ammo.com at a reasonable price such that I will be able to feed my new single shot project for years to come. Great brass at a great price!!!!

This is so far the most consistent factory round in my bench gun and at a very low price. I have not been able to duplicate the consistency in a hand load yet.

Bullet Points: Sellier & Bellot Ammo

Based out of the Czech Republic, where they are the oldest engineering company, Sellier & Bellot are well known for their shotgun ammunition as well as their partnership with the Czech military and police forces.

They produced ammo for both WWI and WWII, exporting 70% of their production for the latter. After the wars, they expanded to offer more than 85 different cartridges – with the 12 gauge being the most popular.

Manufacturers of handgun, rifle and shotgun ammunition – S&B’s most popular hunting bullets are the Nosler Partition and the eXergy. Their many other bullet types meet the needs of a variety of shooters, including competitive and casual target shooters.

The Ammo.com Guarantee

One of the things our customers love most about us is our fast shipping. In fact, they rave about it. When you browse our inventory, you’re seeing exactly what we have in our warehouse, on hand, ready to ship. That’s why, in general, orders placed before 3:00pm Eastern on a weekday will ship same day. Orders placed after this time, or on a weekend or holiday, will ship the next business day.

Included in every order is a donation to a pro-freedom organization that shares our values. After checking out, choose an organization from our Freedom Fighter Support list, and we will donate 1% of your purchase – all at no cost to you.

It is our mission to deliver your ammunition quickly at a great price – all while helping to support those who protect our freedoms to do so.

Happy Ammo.com Shooters

Our customers say it best!

Anthony S. said: "This was my second order with you guys and everything went like clockwork! My product was exactly what I ordered and it arrived very fast just like the first order I placed. I’m getting spoiled by you guys. LOL."

John G. said: "Everything was awesome… thank you"

Gary V. said: "Both orders i have made with ammo.com have been with prompt shipments and competitive prices keep up the good work"

“Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao, Idi Amin, Castro, Pol Pot, all these monsters began by confiscating private arms, then literally soaking the earth with the blood of tens and tens of millions of their people...There can be no free speech, no freedom of the press, no freedom to protest, no freedom to worship your god, no freedom to speak your mind, no freedom from fear, no freedom for your children and for theirs, for anybody, anywhere, without the Second Amendment freedom to fight for it.”Charlton Heston

“Disarmament palsies the hand and brutalizes the mind; an habitual disuse of physical force totally destroys the moral; and men lose at once the power of protecting themselves, and of discerning the cause of their oppression.”Joel Barlow

“An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.”Jeff Cooper